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Part 10: The War Maker
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Book Thief, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Death
Words and Language
Books
Stealing and Giving
Color, Beauty, and Ugliness
Summary
Analysis
There is another parade of Jews down Munich Street, and again Liesel looks for Max. This time she sees him, as he also searches the crowd for Liesel. Liesel feels her heart break and she steps out into the road, calling for Max. They find each other and Max tells her he was caught on his way to Stuttgart.
In one way it is reassuring to know that Max is still alive, but tragic that the Nazis have captured him, and he has now become one of the suffering prisoners paraded to a concentration camp (where few survive).
Themes
A soldier sees Liesel and drags her away from Max, throwing her to the ground. Liesel gets up and then returns from a different direction. She finds Max again and quotes The Word Shaker to him. The world seems to stop, and Max kisses Liesel's hand and looks up at the bright blue sky. Then he is whipped again until he falls to the ground, and the soldier whips Liesel several times. Rudy finds her and helps her away, while the rest of the crowd watches in shock.
One of the novel's most beautiful moments – Liesel gives Max strength and comfort in his suffering by quoting his own words to him, words which describe a safe haven for the two friends in a tree made of compassionate language. Max also takes in the colors of the sky at this moment – once again there is beauty in the face of pain.
Themes
Max is dragged on with the rest of the prisoners and Liesel tries to follow him again, but Rudy tackles her and pins her to the ground. She cries and punches him, but then they lay there together as the rest of the crowd disperses.
Liesel's anger at the injustice of the world returns, and she still tries to physically lash out, just like Rudy wanting to kill Hitler or Max wanting to punch Death.
Themes
